Next Monday marks the start of Residency II in my counseling program, and I am approaching it with a strong sense of anticipation. This will be a time to reconnect and refine the skills I have been working on over the past year.
The schedule offers many opportunities to practice and receive feedback. Group counseling sessions, held daily and supervised by experienced instructors and doctoral students, will help us engage in the kind of work we will be doing in the field. These sessions will offer space to respond to complex scenarios, refine our approaches, and build a deeper understanding of group dynamics.
Skill practice sessions will make up the bulk of each day. These moments will allow us to focus on specific techniques we have been studying, such as conducting trauma-informed intakes, performing crisis assessments, and managing client risk. These sessions are learning experiences that invite us to participate, receive feedback, and grow through real-time practice. This type of learning helps us move from theory to application with increased clarity.
The schedule also includes an Internship Q&A. As I have mentioned before, this is becoming my next big focus, and I am grateful for another opportunity to gain clarity, learn from others, and build confidence about the path ahead.
There is also time set aside for reflection and processing. These discussions with instructors and peers will help us make sense of what we are learning, how it is shaping us, and what it means for our work as future counselors. These conversations are essential for connecting ideas to lived experience and for supporting one another as we grow.
While Residency week will be intense, I am excited to be in the same room again with my cohort. After so much time spent learning virtually, there is something powerful about gathering in person, sharing space, and building community through face-to-face connection. These are the people who have supported and challenged me since day one, and I am eager to see how we have all grown. I am also looking forward to reconnecting with the faculty who have guided us from a distance. Now, we will have the opportunity to interact in person and learn together in a more immediate and collaborative way.
Residency is designed to stretch us, to remind us why we are here, and to let our skills catch up with our intentions. I am walking into it with an open heart and a learner’s mindset. Sharing space again, witnessing one another’s progress, and being guided by instructors in person is energizing.
I won’t be posting next week while I am immersed in the residency experience, but I will be back the following week to share my takeaways.
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I will see you in two weeks.
Roque Neto 